Gate.



PATENTED 'SEPT. 19, 1905.

P@ H. .GONNOLLY.

GATE.

APPLIOATION FILED ma. 10.1005.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- Z7ZVZZZZ0Z v jam/20mm M z.

'PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1,005.

I. H; GONNOLLY.

" GATE.

APPLICATION IILED 118.10, 1905.

2 SHBBTSSHEET 2.

III

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed February 10, 1905. Serial No. 245,131).

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known-that 1, PE ER H. OoNNoL Y, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ennis, in the county of Ellis and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gates, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to gates, and more particularly to that class known as tilting gates; and the primary object of the present construction is to materially simplify the erection of a gate for farm-and other uses and also render the gate sensitive and reliable inopening and closing movements by employing minimized operating mechanism.

The present gate structure is an improvement over that disclosed by my pending ap plication filed November 15, 1904, Serial No. 232,87 9, and allowed January 11, 1905.

The improvement consists in special means connected to the front and-rear portions of.

. loosely engaged by pulling cords, ropes, or

the like. With the specially-arranged pulling or operating means resilient starting devlces are employed and attached to the gate in suitable positionwith respect to the ful- 2, intermediate sustaining-guides 8, and a rear supportin -post 4. As in my former gate structure, the latch-post is composed of two members which are spaced from each other and separated by 'a lower block or analogous device 5 and has on the upper end thereof a striker or similar device 6 to cooperate with the latch, which will be presently explained. The sustaining-guides 3 consist of opposite uprights having a considerably greater vertical extent than the members of the latchture just set forth and may be of any desired form or composed either of wood or metal.-

The form shown consists of a series of slats or strips 11, directly attached to a latch-stile 12, with a latch 13 on its upper end to engage the striker on the post 2, the latch consisting,

preferably, of a sliding bolt having an automatic operation with respect to the said striker when the gate is closed. The slats or strips 11 are also attached at their rear ends to opposite sidemembers 14 and 14 and to a closing-strip 14, forming a rear stile. It will be understood, however, that the rear stile of the gate may be otherwise. constructed. The upper edge of the space-block or analogous device 7 between'the lower-extremities of the sustaining-guides is below the plane of the upper surface of the space-block or similar device 5, disposed in the latch-post 2, and hence the gate 10 is always held by the sustaining-guides in such position that when it is closing the lower end of the latch-stile 12 'will accurately bear on the space-block 5, the said latch-stile moving between the members of the'latch-post and also inwardly and upwardly from said members in the closing and opening movements of the gate. Some portion of the gate is always held between the sustaining-guides 3, and secured to the lower terminal of the rear stile of the gate is a weight attachment 16, having a socket ltf to receive the lower end of the stile, and also provided with a lower rounded edge 17, which permits the weight attachment to ride over the upper end of the space-block 7. At a suitable elevation trunnions 17 project outwardly from the sides of the sockets 16 and movably engage the members '7 of the space-v block 7. Near the upper edge of the opposite sides of the socket 16 of this weight at tachment bearing lugs 17 b project outwardly and have rear curved edges 17". When the gate is closed, the movement thereof is in opposition to a pair of elongated springs 18, attached to the weight attachment I6 and also to the supporting-post 4. These springs being attached to the rear portion of the gate 10, as set forth above, the trunnions 17 operate when the latch of the gate is released to initially draw the gate rearwardly and in an upward direction between the sustaining-guides, and thereby relieve the operator of a material resistance to a ready opening movement of the gate. The springs, as will hereinafter more fully appear, also operate to close the gate, and in the opening and closing movements of the latter the weight attachment 16 acts as a counterpoise with obvious advantages in the tilting operation of the gate. The rear ends of the springs 18 pass through openings 19 in the opposite ends of a plate 20, secured to the rear face of the post t, the ends of the plate projecting outwardly beyond the opposite sides of the said post. The ends of the springs extend loosely through the openings in the plate and are threaded to receive nuts or analogous devices 21, by means of which the tension of the springs can be regulated at will. The springs 18 are retractile in their operation in the opening movement of the gate, and when the gate is closed the said springs are extended or have a pulling tension exerted thereon. As the gate opens the springs gradually assume a normal condition or with their coils in closer relation than when the gate is closed or exerts a full pulling strain on the said springs. The springs do not sag by reason of the fact that the points of attachment thereof to the rear portion of the gate are continually approaching closer to the points of attachment of said springs to the rear supporting-post 4, and, conversely, when the gate closes the points of the attachment of the springs to the rear portion of the gate or to the weight attachment are gradually receding from the said supporting posts 4. Vhen the gate is nearly open, as shown by Fig. 2, the springs will have completely relaxed or become fully retracted just prior to the engagement with the said springs of the lugs 17 which exert a downward pressure on the adjacent portions of the springs and again slightly extend the latter.

One of the important features of the improved structure is the arrangement of the operating-cords or pulling devices which cooperate with the posts 22, disposed in proper relation on opposite sides of the gate along the roadway and within easy reaching distance of an operator. These posts carry swinging arms 23, pivotally supported at their upper ends and free at their lower extremities, the lower extremities being enlarged and slotted, as at 24:, to receive guide-pulleys 25, one in each arm. In the upper extremities of the sustaining-guides guide-pulleys 26 are mounted, and on these guides below the guide-pulleys 26 are direction-pulleys 27 A cord, cable, or analogous device 28 has its terminals secured to the upper end of the rear stile of the gate, and the two portions thereof are thence regularly passed over the guide-pulleys 26 and outwardly to the pulleys 25 in the swinging arms and then back from the latter over the direction-pulleys 27 to the latch 12-3 on the gate. In opening the gate the lower portion of each cord is grasped, and to close the gate the upper part of the cord on either side is actuated. In opening the gate either one of the lower cords is slightly moved or jerked outwardly away from the gate to release the latch 13, and as soon as this release is effected the springs 18 come into play and throw the gate upwardly and open the same, and at the same time the weight attachment acts as a eounterpoise to relieve weight strain or resistance in the opening movement of the gate until the latter reaches a certain elevation a little to one side of the vertical plane of its fulcrum means, when it falls over into open position. (Shown by Fig. 2.) In the closing movement of the gate either one of the upper cords has a continuous pulling tension exerted thereon toward the gate structure, and a lifting action with respect to the gate ensues in a direction reverse to the opening movement of the gate. \Vhen the gate is opened, the lugs 17 strike the springs, and the latter by such engagement with the lugs operate, when either one of the upper cords has a pulling tension in a proper direction exerted thereon by the operator to close the gate, to start the gate over toward the latch-post,

and after the gate arrives over a certain point with respect to its fulcrum its weight will be sufficient, together with the counterpoise set up by the weight attachment, to cause the gate to gravitate and become fully closed against the resistance of the springs. in the operations of opening or closing the gate the cord, rope, or analogous device 28 pays oil over the several pulleys in opposite directions, so as to equalize the movement of the said cord, rope, or analogous device and avoid establishment of a resistance to the opening and closing movements of the gate by any tendency to a check due to the failure of the cord, rope, or analogous device to readily slip in opposite directions. The swinging arms for operating the cord, rope, or the like will act as weight devices to take up any slack in the cord, rope, or other device in the opening and closing movements of the gate. A further advantage in the use of the swinging arms is that in the opening movement of the gate the latter has the greater portion thereof projected in rear of the fulcrum therefor and requires more of the operating-cord to compensate for this maximum rearward projection of the gate, as shown by Fig. 2, and to accommodate this additional amount 01. cord or pay-off the arms swing inwardly and remain in such position until the gate is closed, when said arms hang perpendicularly, as illustrated by Fig. 1. Furthermore, by having the arms movable the strain on the cords is reduced to a minimum, as the swinging movement of said arms will permit the latter to give way without detracting in the least from the practical v posed tocover them by means of a tube 18, of 1 operation of the gate or rendering the cord too slack. This latter operation is materially advantageous in view of gate-operatingmeans engaging fixed pulleys and where the wear of the pulling-cords is material.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the structure of the gate is simplified, and consequently the cost of erection materially reduced.

As a protection for the springs l8'itis prorubber or other suitable material, to exclude moisture, dust, and grit therefrom, and thus avoid impairing in the least their sensitive operation! It is proposed to vary the proportions and dimensions to accommodate diflerent applications, and it will be understood that in changing the size of the gate the weight attachment and other devices cooperating therewith will be correspondingly varied in dimensions.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a tilting gate, a supporting structure in which the gate is pivotally mounted, said structure carrying pulleys, and including a latch-post having a device to engage a latch, the gate having a latch thereon, a flexible operating means attached to the rear portion of the gate and engaging the pulleys and the latch, and swinging operating devices on opposite sides ofthe said structure, the flexible operating means being movable through the said operating devices.

2. In a tilting gate, a supporting structure in which the gate is pivotally mounted and including a latch-post and pulleys, the gate hav' ing a latch to engage said post, a flexible operating means attached to the rear portion of the gate vand engaging the pulleys and the latch, swinging devicesv on opposite sides of the gate structure, the flexible operating meansbeing movable through the swinging devices, andresilient starting devices secured to the rear part of the gate and a portion of the structure.-

3. In a tilting gate, a supporting structure in which the gate is pivotally mounted and including a latch-post and pulleys, the gate having'a latch to engage said post, a flexible operating means attached to the rear portion of the gate, and movably engaging the pulleys and the latch, swinging devices on the opposite sides of the gate structure, the flexible operating means being movable through the swinging devices, and adjustable resilient starting devices secured to the rear part of the gate and a portion of the supporting structure.

4. In a tilting gate, a supporting structure,

in which the gate is pivotally mounted and ineluding a latch-post and pulleys, the gate having a latch to engage said post, a flexible operating means attached to the rear portion of the gate and movably engaging the pulleys and the latch, swinging devices on the opposite sidesof the gate structure, the flexible operating. means being movable through the swinging devices, adjustable resilientstarting devices secured to the rear part of the gate and a portio'n of the supporting structure, and a counterpoise attachment on the rear lower portion of the gate and cooperating with the springs in the actuation of the gate.

5. In a tilting gate, a supporting structure.

to the upper-rear portion of the gate and passed over the pulleys and engaging the latch,

the cord or cable being extended outwardly on opposite sides of the gate, and swinging arms held on opposite sides of the structure and having the cord or cable doubled and loosely passed therethrough.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 'my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PETER H. CONNOLLY.

Witnesses;

JOHN H. SHARP, OWEN CoNNoLLY. 

